Intern with Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara—Apply Now!

The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCA) is a non-profit, non-collecting art museum located downtown at Paseo Nuevo. The museum selects interns to act as the link between exhibit artists, the museum, and visitors. These internships are a great opportunity to gain competitive experience involving art, museums, education, and customer service. I had the opportunity to visit MCA today to learn more about the Education Internship program. 

Interns are able to gain an insider perspective of the internal functions at a contemporary museum while working closely with prominent artists from around the world. Selected applicants will act as gallery attendants and educate visitors regarding the artists’ style and vision. Interns at MCA are under the Education Department which offers education events for the community, from children to adults. Interns will get training and hands-on experience with museum visitors and facilitate activities in the interactive Art Lab (pictured below). Proactive interns may get further involved in the museum depending on their interests.

Interested in this opportunity? Apply for the Education Intern positions with Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara through GauchoLink (job # 744382). Be sure to demonstrate any applicable customer service experience, communication skills, and passion about art or education in the application and interview. 

MCA is seeking a number of interns to begin at the beginning of May and they prefer interns to stay through two exhibition cycles, which would be approximately eight months. This commitment allows interns to work with various artists, exhibits, and education activities to further their experience with MCA.

Take a peek inside the current exhibits at MCA. I was able to explore the museum before they opened to the public—VIP access!

Internships with 21st Century Fox

I was recently invited to visit 21^st Century Fox studios for a luncheon and internship program presentation. Yes, my humble feet walked the same grounds that Zooey Deschanel, Mindy Kaling, and Homer Simpson roam daily. D’OH! Maybe not that last one, but you get the picture.

I was able to connect with recruitment managers and staff from a variety of departments. We even got to chat with previous interns whom are now full-time members of the Fox family. I was impressed by the many areas that interns can get involved with through the corporation’s diverse departments such as television, film, news, and beyond. Unfortunately, our much-needed California rainstorm got in the way of the studio tour but not before I snapped a few pictures of the lot and Zooey’s parking spot.

Internship Opportunities: 

The larger Intern Program at Fox offers opportunities in various locations such as New York, D.C., San Diego, Chicago, and more. Positions are available in Fall, Spring and Summer sessions. The typical Summer application deadline is April 1^st. You may notice that the start date is during our final exam week, however the hiring manager assured me that Fox is flexible for accepted interns. The Program provides an unforgettable first-hand experience allowing participants to work on a variety of assignments and projects in various departments around the company.

Applicants must be sophomore level or above, Master level students are accepted, and previous internship or work experience is preferred. Recent graduates cannot apply to the internships, but they can consider the six month Apprentice Programs which recruits in November for Spring graduates.

The internship opportunities vary with each media group, network, and location, so be sure to browse online: http://www.foxcareers.com/#/internships

The Finance/Accounting Rotation Program is a highly selective program for recent undergraduates with a passion for the entertainment industry. Applicants should have a strong entrepreneurial desire, leadership and analytical skills, Excel experience, and previous internship experience is a plus. The program mirrors the finance rotation models of the Big 4. Typically, the deadline is April 1^st for an August start date.

Fox Group Legal also offers a Diversity Legal Internship Program for first year law students. Interns spend five weeks with an outside partner and five weeks with Fox Group Legal. There are smaller-scale legal internship available throughout the year.

Tips from Recruitment Team:

The hiring managers provided insight to the application process and reiterated that the resume is important. Their top resume suggestions: avoid including photographs (you’re not applying to be an actor!), proofread for errors, and provide a link to an online portfolio or LinkedIn profile. Also, be sure to select all areas of interest when applying online. They also suggested networking with Fox staff to conduct informational interviews and learn more about the opportunities.

Advice from Former Interns:

The panel of former interns strongly encouraged interested applicants to research and network with individuals at Fox. Suggestions included conducting informational interviews, being persistent and grateful, tailoring the resume, and showing sincere interest and passion about Fox. Previous interns also noted that participation in case competitions and projects during school can help set you apart from other applicants, especially if you are an applicant lacking internship experience. 

Insider Interview Tips

"Don't tell me what you would do; tell me what you DID!"

This was the response from a Target recruiter when a student asked about interview questions at a recent panel. Earlier this week, we invited several companies to speak about their internship opportunities at a panel during our yearly Internship Week at Career Services. After each company (Enterprise, Target, and Sherwin Williams) shared information about their awesome internships, students began to ask questions. One student in particular asked each recruiter to share interview questions and tips. They all agreed that they love to ask behavioral questions, those that start with, "tell me about a time when......." Here are some of their favorites:

 -Tell me about a time that you dealt with an angry customer.
 -Tell me about a time you made a mistake and what you learned.
-Tell me about a time that you worked on a team and what you contributed
 -Tell me about a time where you took initiative.
 -Tell me about a time where you exhibited leadership skills.

The key in answering these questions is to be very specific and to not generalize. Actually tell the recruiter a story. And remember to tell the recruiter what you did in each situation, not what you would do.

Recruiters all agreed that candidates need to do their homework and research the company and the position. Candidates need to be truly interested and enthusiastic for the position and to work at the company. Most importantly, students need to be able to answer these two questions:
 -Why do you want this internship?
 -How will you add value to our team and to our company?

Well, I hope these insider tips can help you prepare for your next interview. Swing by Career Services to pick up our Interview Guide and let us help you prepare for that interview!

Focus on Internships

In 2012, 69% of companies with 100 or more employees offered full-time jobs to their interns, according to Forbes. Not to mention, applicants with relevant internship experience have a much higher chance of landing full-time positions with other companies. Internships are critical in today's job market. Don't miss Career's Focus on Internships this February where you'll have the chance to attend our great line-up of industry specific employer panels and workshops that will expand your opportunities and widen your network!

Here's a guest blog from our very own Marketing Intern extraordinaire, Seamus Roddy. See how his successful internship experience helped him land an awesome full-time job:

"With graduation looming in the all-to-near future I brought my nearly incoherent résumé to Career Services during Fall of my junior year.   After meeting with career counselors, Brittany Manzer and Molly Steen, my résumé improved greatly and I had the confidence to put myself out in the job market. During Internship Week I heard Dave Palmer speak on the internships he offers every year at Career Services.  I applied and landed one of the positions. I immediately enjoyed working at Career and appreciated the responsibility and accountability the staff allotted to me. 

The following year, with a fresh notch of internship experience on my résumé, I applied for a full-time position with Oracle Corporation for after my June graduation.  From talking to Oracle at the Fall Career Fair, applying through GauchoLink, attending an on-campus interview, and ultimately receiving a job offer, I went through Career’s services the entire way.  Less than a year prior to the offer and my subsequent acceptance, I was another student replying “I don’t know” to the questions we all get about our future – but now equipped with the guidance and experience I got through Career I had landed a job for post-graduation before Fall quarter had even ended. Each employee at Career Services is totally dedicated to getting you employed –it really does amaze me how much they care and the effort they put in is remarkable.  The hard part of beginning your life after college is done −you attend one of the best universities in the country, now let Career help you hone your skills, refine your résumé, and get you the exposure and experience you need to be hired. Career Services will get you employed, you just need to take the initial step and walk through the door."

Thanks for sharing, Seamus!